ECONOMICS (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -A currency peg is a monetary policy that keeps the value of a currency low compared to other countries. The Chinese yuan has had a currency peg since 1994. The effect of the peg and the low currency is that Chinese exports are cheaper and, therefore, more attractive compared to those of other nations.

Detailed explanation-2: -Devaluing Currency A weak domestic currency makes a nation’s exports more competitive in global markets, and simultaneously makes imports more expensive. Higher export volumes spur economic growth, while pricey imports also have a similar effect because consumers opt for local alternatives to imported products.

Detailed explanation-3: -The move was unexpected, and many believed it was a desperate attempt by China to boost exports in support of an economy that was growing at its slowest rate in decades. However, the PBOC claimed that the devaluation was part of its reforms to move toward a more market-oriented economy.

Detailed explanation-4: -China does not have a floating exchange rate that is determined by market forces, as is the case with most advanced economies. Instead it pegs its currency, the yuan (or renminbi), to the U.S. dollar. The yuan was pegged to the greenback at 8.28 to the dollar for more than a decade starting in 1994.